Now that the dust has settled, Digital Spy has put together a round-up of everything you need to know about the 5C right here.

Design

The iPhone 5C marks a departure from the glass and aluminium-backed devices we are accustomed to from Apple, sporting a shell made from hard-coated polycarbonate material that feels far from budget to the touch.

Measuring in at 8.97mm thick, the device isn't quite as slender as the original iPhone 5, but does come in an array of colours - blue, green, pink, yellow and white - to tie in with iOS 7's visual design.

Apple has also designed a bespoke set of cases for the iPhone 5C, which feature a set of drilled holes beneath so that the coloured back plate shines through.

It also features the same 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel rear camera capable of shooting 1080p video and LED-flash light, but there have been some subtle hardware improvements.

The Cupertino firm has included an updated FaceTime HD camera that is said to fare better in low-lit conditions, boosted battery life and offers support for additional LTE bands - more than any other smartphone in the world.

Hardware tweaks and a more colourful design aren't the only benefits that the iPhone 5C offers over its predecessor, with users also able to take advantage of Apple's latest mobile operating system iOS 7.

A refreshed user interface will grace the handset's 4-inch display, replete with Android-style animated backgrounds, a new quick menu and a simplified camera app.

Virtual assistance Siri has also been refined, gaining higher quality vocals and the ability to draw on information from Twitter, Wikipedia and the web.

The iPhone 5C will cost £469 for a 16GB model and £549 for 32GB handset when bought outright in the UK. US customers can take it out on a two-year contract with a payment of $99 upfront for a 16GB model.

Pre-orders for the smartphone begin on September 13, before it goes on sale on September 20.